Marlee Matlin’s career is defined by firsts. She was the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, the youngest winner in the Best Actress category, and one of only four actors to take the prize for a screen debut. Matlin was 21 when she won Hollywood’s biggest prize for her role in Children of a Lesser God, in 1986. In the years since, she’s moved between television and Broadway, become a leading voice in the National Association of the Deaf, published four books, and, since 2014, served as the ACLU’s ambassador for disability rights. A new documentary from director Shoshannah Stern charts Matlin’s trailblazing life, delving beyond the headlines into her experiences with childhood sexual abuse, drug addiction, and her turbulent relationship with onetime partner and Children of a Lesser God co-star William Hurt. A must watch. —Elena Clavarino